Transport Infrastructure Ireland warned in recent days that many of the country’s major roads projects could be delayed owing to uncertainty of funding in the coming years. Cllr John Paul O’Shea, who will contest the general election in the Cork North West constituency said people are ‘worried’ about further delays to projects in Cork County. “In my own area, people are worried about the progression of projects such as the M20 Cork-Limerick motorway, the M28 Cork to Ringaskiddy road, and the N72 Mallow Relief Road. These are projects which have already caused frustration because of their slow progression to date.”
Cllr O’Shea continued: “Businesses, commuters, and tourists in Cork are all heavily reliant on having an efficient road network. Multi-annual funding is provided in many instances by government to provide for long-term stability, most recently to RTÉ. There is no logical explanation as to why it shouldn’t be allocated to such critical infrastructure projects.
“We cannot allow a situation to develop where we are forced to choose between projects, or where large projects are being consistently put on the long finger because the department didn’t adequately fund TII. Businesses groups have also expressed their fears that a failure to swiftly progress roads projects could have a detrimental impact on businesses and livelihoods,” he added.
Cllr O’Shea called on the Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan to ‘commit’ to providing multi-annual funding to TII. “There are numerous projects contained in the latter half of the National Development Plan, the planning of which needs to begin on urgently. There have been far too many fatalities and tragedies on our roads. Adequately funding our road network is an investment in road safety. I am calling on Minister Ryan to commit to providing multi-annual funding to TII.”
Cllr O’Shea continued: “With our population continuing to grow rapidly, we are going to need reliable road networks, adequate public transport provision, and active travel routes to ensure continued economic growth, regional connectivity, and road safety.”
Cork Chamber also expressed concern at recent comments made by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) chief executive Peter Walsh, who warned that key transport infrastructure projects could face significant delays because of issues around funding allocation.
Conor Healy, Cork Chamber CEO, said ‘guaranteed’ funding must be put in place for strategic infrastructure projects. “It is concerning to hear that some of the most critical infrastructure projects planned for the Cork region are likely to be further delayed because of uncertainty around funding. Guaranteed funding must be put in place for strategic infrastructure projects such as the M20 and M28. These projects have already been in the pipeline for some time and further delays are unacceptable.”
Mr Healy continued: “Providers of critical infrastructure, including transport infrastructure, need multi-annual funding plans to enable them to plan and deliver large-scale capital projects effectively. The government must examine the introduction of funding schemes on a multi-annual or major project basis to remove needless uncertainty and delays related to funding for such critical infrastructure developments.
“This will also help to secure a more competitive marketplace for the delivery of major projects which will ultimately benefit the taxpayer,” he added.